1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a test tube type discrimination apparatus for discriminating a type of each of a plurality of test tubes held in a test tube rack.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are different types of test tubes that differ in diameter and length as specimen containers that contain specimens such as blood. These test tubes are sorted by type and stored at least in the initial state before they are used. In most cases, however, when a once-used test tube is sterilized for reuse, different types of test tubes are mixed in one test tube rack.
In order to put the test tubes for blood test to actual use, they should be sorted in advance by type. When the test tubes greatly differ in outside diameter or the like, an operator can visually sort them almost correctly. However, when the outside diameters of the test tubes are almost the same and the shapes of the openings thereof are slightly different, or when the outside diameters of the test tubes are the same in proximity to the openings and only the degrees of taper of tapered portions of the test tubes are different, an operator cannot make a correct visual discrimination.
It is thus desired to provide a test tube type discrimination apparatus for automatically discriminating the types of a plurality of test tubes held in a test tube rack.